Of the many post-election outcomes, the most absurd is the assertion that Republicans must move further left on their legislative and economic platforms in order to attract women and minorities.

To the best of my knowledge, women and minorities are already well represented in the GOP. But these same Republican women and minorities are also disparaged and vilified at every opportunity by the left. I wonder if that has any impact on potential candidates’ willingness to step into the electoral ring.

The issue is not sex or ethnicity but values. The values espoused by the Democratic Party are the ones that appeal to the majority of voters. These take the form of a huge social and economic umbrella intended to protect, guide and ensnare citizens. Free choice and self-determination are surrendered to the deceptive overtones of so-called fairness and the leftist version of shared prosperity — though the last three decades have seen Republicans increasingly ape this nanny-state template.

These differences in values spill over into the arena of conduct and consequence as well. It’s almost as if there are different standards applied to elected officials who become embroiled in illegal conduct or moral indiscretions based on their party affiliation. Republicans usually resign while Democrats deny and excuse their way back into office. All too often Republicans pay a price — as well they should — while Democrats are just being … well … Democrats. Evidently, the voters are OK with this double standard.

Nothing sums up party expectations like the most recent re-election bids of Republican Rep. Allen West and Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Rep. West lost his bid for re-election while Rep. Jackson, under treatment at the Mayo Clinic as well as under federal criminal investigation, won in a landslide.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, when not evading taxes, passionately laments the lack of African-American elected representation; yet he refused to say a word in support of Rep. West.

Judgment is not being passed based on skin color or sex but the content of one’s politics. Women and minorities are expected to know their place under the succor of the magnanimous Democrats; any other position is homophobic, Uncle Tomish, racist, sexist and just plain unpatriotic.

Conservatives need to stick to their core principles. In fact, now might be a good time to return to being republicans. The panhandler element is now large enough to be calling the shots, and I think they will remain so for the foreseeable future. To remain globally competitive we will eventually have to return to sound economic principles that have enabled this nation to excel.

The European Union is littered with members that have tried to entitle their way to prosperity. Several of these train-wreck countries are shifting right in an effort to regain their competitive edge. Sweden and Canada have had excellent results once they applied common sense. It has taken them decades to change course and since we seem to be determined to reinvent the wheel, I don’t expect to see the turnaround in my lifetime.

Page 2 of 2 - Democrats have the momentum and may very well wheedle their way to some perceived egalitarian nirvana. Have at it. In a couple of decades competent folks will have to return to clean up the mess.